P-03R JCL Special

[guitarman001]

NGD alert   

I keep reading how amazing Larrivee rosewoods are but I've never played one until recently where I thought "this is it". It's the JCL special parlour model - moon wood top (I think 25 year aged?), EIR back & sides, pyramid bridge, 12 frets.

I'd been eyeing up an OM09 but 1) I've already got a few OMs so it may have been too similar (also, I think I prefer mahogany for the bigger bodies as fills out the mids) and 2) I actually got to play this guitar and it struck a chord. I do put a lot of importance on buying the special one that you are playing right there, right then with your own hands. As no two are the same...

It's different enough from my P-03 mahogany. It has that rosewood bass and longer droning notes and the moon spruce I think couples really, really well with rosewood (as it does with my Bhilwara OM03) - the moon top adds this extra layer of treble harmonics and also thickens up the trebles (maybe why I like this rosewood - typically I find the trebles can be trebly/metallic but but seem thicker with the moon top), and it's got the punch of adirondack, so this little guitar almost sounds full-size. I listened to the store rep play it and I knew it had to be mine. Plays a dream, fit & finish are perfect. Everybody here knows I am a massive fan of the symmetrical bracing - it's got that complex Larrivee sound. And the 12 fret lower bridge placement really allows the bass notes to pop out more and sustain longer.

I really like the parlour models - the 24" scale length makes them so easy to play, they're easy to carry around, the look cute and the bass is authoritative if you put bluegrass 12s on and just pick a bit closer to the bridge. I remember seeing some Larry Pattis videos where he played his P-09 thinking that those things have CHARACTER! He now seems to play bigger guitars but I always, genuinely, preferred the compressed and characterful sound of his parlour. They've a little fight in them but they sound absolutely amazing - little renaissance guitars!

I don't usually bother about looks but the light top on this really highlights an amazingly colourful abalone ring, the JCL logo is a nice touch, the flamed maple binding is done really well, and the mid-darkness satin rosewood with its grain is very lovely. That's another thing - I specifically wanted satin for the smaller guitar as I feel it opens the sound up a bit (coincidentally I restrung my satin, aged OM-02 yesterday and WOW.... that old guitar has aged like a fine wine - it is light and dry as a bone - magical).

I did trade two guitars for this. Nothing is moving on the market right now so two out, one in - my girlfriend is happy. I traded my L-05 and burst-top OM-03. Mahogany guitars that I retain: OM02, OM05, P03 and  Northwood OO. That's enough mahogany for anybody. The OM03 looked great and had a deeper body so it sounded very full when strummed but it was surplus and I have found that I do NOT prefer deep bodies. Slimmer bodies have a snap/plop to the sound that I find really pleasing. I found that I simply prefer the ergonomics and thrummy sound of an OM to the L (though it's still a great design - I'm just more of a fingerstyle player).

Anyway, some pics...

[guitarman001]

Two more...

The moon wood does have a quicker response than Sitka. I find Sitka is maybe a bit warmer and has more sustain, especially around the bass notes. It's good to have variety.


I'm wondering if I should get some specific bridge pins for this to swap out the composite that are in it right now.
I think ebony is meant to pair well with rosewood, right? Some abalone-topped ones might be nice...

[teh]

Congratulations on acquiring a real beauty.

You'll most likely be the only guy in town with a guitar like that. The headstock logo, abalone rosette and maple binding really compliment the light top and the rosewood back and sides. I'd be curious to know if your guitar came with a gig bag or a hardshell case. As I'm sure you have discovered, the parlor is a great, solid wood travel guitar for weekends and car trips and as you said, the 12 fret, 24 inch scale is really comfortable to play too.

Your post took me back 20 years to 2004 when I bought my first Larrivee: a new Special Edition P-03 Parlor with a Sitka Spruce top and Flamed Maple back and sides. The Larrivee family struck gold when they introduced their parlor model which was a great use of smaller quality wood pieces that were too small to use for larger models. My dealer was selling Larrivee parlor guitars as fast as he could get them in his shop when I bought mine. For my style of play, I have always favored light gauge strings.

FWIW, I bought a set of black ebony pins with abalone dots for my all mahogany 00-24 during the recent Black Friday sale and Larrivee threw in a free set of strings. Keep an eye out for a year end holiday sale.

[guitarman001]

Ooooh ebony pins with abalone dot sounds a winner... I'll go for that, I think.. if I see a sale!

Yeah, these are great guitars. I can only imagine their OOs are also great but then they're not parlours - the reduction in scale length gives a characteristic sound. I have my Northwood which covers the OO base.

20 years... Has it noticeabley aged in the tone department?

Oh, it came with a little hard case, same as my P-03.

Every guitar has its wolf note and I've discovered it's the 3rd fret A string on this, the sustain does a little when struck. I can get around this by tuning down to A432Hz or even better, Eb tuning. That really sounds great though even 13s (factory fit for parlours, thanks to JR for emailing me that info) feel slack when tuned down so I have to experiment.

I have also found that the tuning slips on parlours more than bigger, longer scale length guitars. I wonder if higher ratio tuners would prevent this from happening so much?  Am initial Google says perhaps not.

I think I will get the nut adjusted by my luthier in future (or maybe I'll try) - it's near perfect but the trebles are a touch high.

Very happy with my stable right now.

[StringPicker6]

Gorgeous guitar, congrats! I have the larrivee ebony bridge pins with the abalone dot inlays, and they are very classy and beautiful! Buy your baby something pretty this holiday season!

[teh]

To my ear, each of my new guitars began to improve in tone starting between the 5-7 year mark. My 20 year old parlor is my first and oldest Larrivee and it has settled in nicely. I will often tune it down to Drop D, Double Drop D or Open C and this guitar responds well to all of those altered tunings.

When I bought this guitar, I had five parlors to choose from and this one rose to the top of the batting order. It also set the bar for me to add two additional Larrivee 12 fret guitars to the fold along with a 12 string LV-03 and a Baker T-Pro electric.

[guitarman001]

I'm in the UK so will definitely wait for the deals since shipping is costly. Thank you, StringPicker!

My OM02 is ten years old and it feels as dry as a bone, resonates like hell. I think it may also have been around the 4-5 year mark for it. The 12 fret guitars definitely have something about them - I am certain that an OO will call me in future. Baker T's look fantastic...

So your parlour is ok with open C? Wow... What gauge strings?

This new one definitely prefers Eb tuning though the strings are then a touch slack so I don't know if the remedy is truss rod loosening or higher saddle?

I'm definitely getting a feel for the Larrivee rosewood Vs mahogany sound. Although the rosewood has deeper bass, the mahogany has more punch which makes the bass feel "punchier" and I feel I been hit the hog harder without the bass flopping - hog is still my fave but this rosewood has a nice ethereal sound, especially when playing with the flesh of the fingers - I think that's what it excels at the most. It definitely wants to be played lighter.

[Rockysdad]

Congrats, enjoy it forever.

[guitarman001]

Thank you, Sir